Scottish Executive

Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all research and the cost of such research into amnesic shellfish poisoning commissioned or carried out by the Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS).

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The FSAS have advised me that the following table details all research they have carried out or commissioned into amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP).

  Food Standards Agency Scotland Research into ASP

  


Date 
  

Title 
  

Purpose 
  

Total Cost (£000) 
  



December 2001 to July 2002 
  

Measurement of ASP in King Scallops Processed in Scotland 
  

This study was designed to establish the acceptable and 
  proportionate levels of end product testing for whole, roe-on 
  and roe-off scallops in the tiered system. 
  

154 
  



January 2000 to September 2003 
  

Phytoplankton Study 
  

Project initiated to investigate the relationship between 
  phyoplankton and levels of ASP, PSP and DSP. 
  

450

Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will invite the Food Standards Agency Scotland to submit the data on samples taken from (a) scallops and (b) mussels since amnesic shellfish poisoning testing was introduced, showing the levels of algal toxins, in order to challenge scientifically the trigger level of 4.6 micrograms per gram set in the European Commission Decision 2002/226 EC, in the light of the suggestion by the European Commission Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General to the Rural Development Committee at its meeting on 8 October 2002.

Mary Mulligan: Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS) advise me that they wrote to the Commission on 15 October to ask their thoughts on how a review of the 4.6mg/kg trigger level could be pursued. The FSAS will be happy to provide data on scallops and mussels, should the relevant European scientific committees request it.

Cities

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funding mismatches between local authorities will be addressed as part of the Cities Review.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Cities Review has examined a range of issues relevant to our cities, including funding mechanisms and allocations.

Crown Estate

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of Crown Estate rentals and royalties on the operation and development of ferry piers, ports and harbours.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has made no assessment of the impact of specific elements of the operational costs of ferry piers, ports and harbours such as Crown Estate rentals and royalties.

Crown Estate

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what annual rental charges are paid to the Crown Estate for seabed rentals for ferry piers, ports and harbours operated by (a) Caledonian MacBrayne, (b) Shetland Islands Council, (c) Orkney Islands Council, (d) Lerwick Port Authority, (e) Scrabster Harbour Trust, (f) Ullapool Harbour Trustees, (g) Stornoway Pier and Harbour Commission, (h) Argyll and Bute Council, (i) Mallaig Harbour Authority, (j) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, (k) Clydeport and (l) Aberdeen Harbour Board.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held by the Scottish Executive. Responsibility for the Crown Estate is reserved.

Dyslexia

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assist learning amongst adult sufferers of dyslexia.

Iain Gray: £4.5 million is being made available over three years to implement the inclusiveness recommendations from the Beattie Committee to improve support for students in further education. The BRITE (Beattie Resources for Inclusiveness in Technology and Education) Centre has been established through this funding. The centre offers a programme of staff development aimed at building the capacity of staff within colleges to identify and support the needs of students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia.

  A vast range of assistive technologies are available in the support of learners. I recently allocated an additional £10 million to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) to support colleges in the investment of major items of equipment and the purchase of auxiliary aids to support learners with special needs or disabilities.

  Dyslexia in Scotland raises awareness of dyslexia throughout Scotland and provides a national support and information service for people with, or who have an interest in, dyslexia. The Scottish Executive is providing funding of £27,810 for 2002-03 to assist with the cost of maintaining its Scottish headquarters.

Enterprise

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what budget was (a) allocated and (b) spent by (i) Scottish Enterprise and (ii) Highlands and Islands Enterprise in each year since 1997 and how many staff were employed in the tourism section of each in each quarter of each year since 1997.

Iain Gray: The budget allocation to and spend by, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in each year since 1997 are shown in the following tables. The excess of spend over allocation reflects their gross expenditure including business income receipts.

  


Scottish Enterprise 
  

Allocated (£ million) 
  

Spent (£ million) 
  



1997-98 
  

419 
  

449 
  



1998-99 
  

400 
  

443 
  



1999-2000 
  

380 
  

451 
  



2000-01 
  

398 
  

445 
  



2001-02 
  

409 
  

437 
  



  


Highlands and Islands 
  

Allocated (£ million) 
  

Spent (£ million) 
  



1997-98 
  

£62.9 
  

£78.9 
  



1998-99 
  

£63.5 
  

£78.1 
  



1999-2000 
  

£64.4 
  

£77.3 
  



2000-01 
  

£70.2 
  

£83.4 
  



2001-02 
  

£75.6 
  

£95.9 
  



  The number of staff working on tourism related matters is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Fisheries

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people work in the scallop industry, broken down by fishermen, processors and others.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive does not hold details of people employed in the scallop industry. There are currently 191 Scottish vessels licensed to fish for scallops, of which 102 have caught scallops in 2002 and 51 have caught scallops only.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being used to ensure that children do not become addicted to Ritalin.

Malcolm Chisholm: The regulation and safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA).

  The MCA has advised that Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) was assessed for quality, safety and efficacy at the time of licensing. As with all medicines, the safety of Ritalin is continually monitored by the agency and the independent expert advisory body, the Committee on Safety of Medicines. The authorised product information contains comprehensive information on the recognised side effects of treatment.

  There is the potential for abuse of Ritalin due to the nature of the drug. Ritalin has controlled drug status, which imposes restrictions on prescribing and handling. Caution is advised in patients who are emotionally unstable, such as those with a history of drug or alcohol abuse. The available clinical evidence indicates that treatment with Ritalin during childhood does not increase the likelihood of addiction in later life.

  The Committee on Safety of Medicines considered the issue of possible misuse of Ritalin in June 1999 and concluded that the product information contained adequate warnings and advice on prescribing.

  The clinical use of Ritalin for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was reviewed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2000-01 who recommended that treatment with methylphenidate should only be initiated by child and adolescent psychiatrists or paediatricians with expertise in ADHD and that children on methylphenidate therapy should receive regular monitoring. When improvement has occurred treatment should be discontinued at intervals under careful specialist supervision, in order to assess both the child's progress and the need for continuation of therapy.

  In deciding whether to prescribe Ritalin for the treatment of ADHD, clinicians would be expected to take account of advice and guidance about the drug including the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 52 on ADHD and the advice issued by NICE.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the electronic health record will be available and in use in all NHS board areas.

Malcolm Chisholm: The National Strategic Programme for Information Management & Technology 2001 - 2005 states that we will "establish with active co-operation of patients first versions of electronic health records based on GP summary information. First pilots to be in place 2003."

  We are on course to deliver that target and will establish time scales for the national roll out in the course of the pilot.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposed patient-held smart card will promote patient involvement and better co-ordination of health care, as referred to in section 5 of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change .

Malcolm Chisholm: It is thought that patient-held smart cards have the potential to put the patient in control of access to their records and that this might be especially beneficial when their health care providers span a number of health care organisations. For example, the card could contain a personal electronic signature which could unlock the information when used in conjunction with a card held by a clinician containing his/her electronic signature. This may contribute to the secure access infrastructure required for electronic health records.

Mental Health

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it will make available to the 18 clients currently being offered one-to-one counselling and the 18 clients currently being counselled over the telephone by Facilitate (Scotland) in the light of the decision by judicial factors to close the offices of Facilitate (Scotland).

Malcolm Chisholm: An interim Judicial Factor has been appointed to manage the affairs of Facilitate (Scotland).

  If a decision were made to close the charity, then any closure would have to be made in an orderly fashion. The Scottish Charities Office has already made the Factor aware of the need to consider the requirements of Facilitate’s existing clients and telephone helpline service.

  In the meantime, the Executive has contacted Greater Glasgow NHS Board, Samaritans and Childline Scotland, and these organisations are currently considering what support they are able to offer Facilitate’s clients.

NHS Funding

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage uplift in the prescribing element of the unified budget has been in each of the last three years and (a) how much and (b) what percentage of these uplifts have been determined according to the Arbuthnott formula, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards are given a unified budget to enable them to meet the health care needs of their resident populations. There is no specific prescribing element uplift in the unified budget. It is for each individual NHS board to decide how much money to allocate to their prescribing budget.

  The Arbuthnott formula, which has a prescribing element, has informed NHS board allocations for financial years 2001-02 and 2002-03. On average each NHS board received a 6.5% increase in 2001-02 and a 7.2% increase in 2002-03. This was made up of a minimum increase for each NHS board of 5.5% in 2001-02 and 6.8% in 2002-03 and additional money for those NHS boards where their Arbuthnott shares were greater than their actual shares.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29477 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, what formal steps it took when taking into account the recommendations of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation R(98)7 when procuring medical services for prisons.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service considered the Recommendations of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on the Ethical and Organisational Aspects of Health Care in Prison when it procured medical services for prisons.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29477 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, whether all its arrangements for procuring medical services in prisons have been in accordance with the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation R(98)7.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Yes.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29525 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, what guarantee it can give that the remuneration of medical staff in prisons is no lower than that which would be used in other public health sectors, in accordance with section 22 of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation R(98)7.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  None. Remuneration of medical staff is a matter for the contractor, however, on account of market forces, the remuneration of medical staff in Scottish prisons is unlikely to be very different from that in the NHS.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29526 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, how health policies applicable to prisoners in custody is integrated into and compatible with national health policies, in accordance with section 10 of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation R(98)7.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service is cognisant of national health policies in designing its prisoner health care policy.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what screening exists at each prison for (a) tuberculosis, (b) mental illnesses requiring medical treatment and (c) withdrawal symptoms resulting from the use of drugs, medication or alcohol.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  All prisoners on admission to custody are offered an appropriate health care assessment by nursing and medical staff.

Recycling

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what markets have been identified for recycled goods and how it plans to develop such markets.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive provides funding to two recycling market groups, Recycling Market Development Scotland (Remade) and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Through the support of Remade and WRAP the Scottish Executive has helped identify markets for recycled materials. Markets have already been identified for several new uses for recycled materials. For instance glass is now being used as an abrasive, a filtration medium, an aggregate and a fluxing agent in tiles and bricks. More information can be found on the WRAP and Remade websites, http://www.wrap.org.uk/  and http://www.remade.org.uk/ .

  The organisations are also working to further develop these and other markets. This work includes, appointing a WRAP Liaison Officer for Scotland, advising industry on the use of the materials and encouraging potential users to use them.

Registrar General for Scotland

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish his Annual Report for 2001.

Dr Richard Simpson: Scotland’s Population 2001: the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends is published today. The format of the report has been changed from previous annual reports to bring out key trends and issues more clearly for a wider audience. A copy of the report is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. Number 24855), or from the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) website at: www.gro-scotland.gov.uk .

Scottish Executive Correspondence

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5715 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 October 2002, why it did not detail whether any aspect of its policies had been amended as a result of representations made by any member of the Royal Family since May 1999, accepting that such correspondence is private and confidential.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information relating to confidential communications between Scottish ministers and Her Majesty The Queen or other Members of the Royal Household is exempt from disclosure under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information .

Scottish Executive Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28657 by Mr Andy Kerr on 23 September 2002, why establishing entitlement to payment from historical records for ex-members of its security branch was a complex task; how many former employees it (a) attempted to make contact with and (b) succeeded in contacting; how many former employees that it succeeded in contacting have made successful claims, and whether full-time and part-time employees were included in this process.

Mr Andy Kerr: This exercise involved identifying individuals employed since April 1995, confirming last known addresses, the interrogation of electronic records held by the Executive and ADP Chessington, and also a resource-intensive manual check of individual paper-based records. The exercise covered full-time and part-time staff.

  A total of 135 letters were sent by recorded delivery to ex-Security Force members, of which 42 were returned undelivered and 56 produced no reply. Of the 37 replies received, 11 cases have been completed and submitted for payment. In 11 cases relevant pay records and claim forms have been issued to the individuals, but to date no claims have been received. Six cases could not be progressed due to the absence of any supporting documentation or records. In four cases pay records were transferred in 1997 to Scottish Prison Service following the transfer of staff to the agency. The individuals have been advised to contact their pay section to obtain the relevant information. In two cases the individuals indicated that they did not intend to submit a claim. A further three cases remain on-going.

  In addition to these cases the department is reviewing four cases involving individuals who have deceased since leaving the Scottish Executive.

Scottish Executive Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive from which budget backdated payments for travel time allowances at its Security Branch are being met; who is overseeing the application process for these payments; who has day-to-day control and involvement in the process, and what arbitration and appeal structure is in place to consider any dispute regarding these payments.

Mr Andy Kerr: Payments are being met from the Security Branch administration budget. The application and authorisation process is being managed by Security Branch, who liase with the claimants, assist them in completing the relevant forms where necessary and check the validity of the claims. The payment process is managed by the Pay Administration Team in conjunction with ADP Chessington, the Executive's Payroll Bureau.

  Any individual who feels dissatisfied at the outcome of their claim should, in the first instance, raise the matter with Security Branch. If still dissatisfied individuals should appeal to the Director of Personnel and Pay.

Scottish Executive Staff

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce who its next permanent secretary will be.

Mr Jack McConnell: I have previously announced that the appointment process should enable a decision to be made and announced after the Scottish Parliament general election in May 2003.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27353 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 August 2002, what level of risk of drug-assisted sexual assault it estimates will still exist following the production of the strategic assessment on the wider issue of drug-assisted sexual assault.

Dr Richard Simpson: It is impossible to quantify the level of risk from drug-assisted sexual assault. The Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency Strategic Assessment examines the extent of drug-assisted sexual assault in Scotland, the drugs used in assaults and their effects on victims.

  The actions referred to in the answer given to question S1W-29189 today, will help to raise awareness among the public, particularly young people, and should reduce the risks to individuals. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the production of the strategic assessment of drug-assisted sexual assault, what action it plans to take to highlight the risk of such assault and what prevention strategies it plans to put in place.

Dr Richard Simpson: As part of our "Know the Score" Drugs Communications Strategy, we are currently preparing a guidance leaflet for young people on the risks from drug-assisted sexual assault. In addition, it is likely that reference will be made to drug-assisted sexual assault in a new "clubbers guide" which is also under preparation. We hope to publish these materials by the end of the year. As part of this task, we are considering whether separate information and advice for licensees should be produced.

Sheltered Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to speed up the installation of showers for elderly people in sheltered housing in The Highland Council area.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-5652 on 26 September 2002, which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/search.htm .

Special Educational Needs

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken on the provision of speech and language and other therapies for children with learning disabilities in the light of the recommendations in Advisory Committee Report into the Education of Children with Severe Low Incidence Disabilities , as referred to in section 6 of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change .

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive Health and Education Departments are conducting a joint review of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services for children, and speech and language therapy services for adults with learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorders.

  The review is being taken forward by a steering group comprising representatives from the professional therapy bodies and local authority, health and parents' interests. The working group is supported by a consultancy team from Queen Margaret University College and expects to send its report to the Executive by the end of the year.

Substance Misuse

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, or considering, in order to improve the clinical management of alcohol and drug misuse among younger men that deliberately self-harm.

Dr Richard Simpson: Our guidance to medical professionals, Managing Incidental Drug Misuse and Alcohol Problems in Mental Health Care Settings , recommends that substance misuse is covered in assessments of patients with mental health problems. These assessments would address issues of self-harm.

  The Guidelines on Clinical Management of Drug Misuse and Dependence recommend that psychiatric issues should form part of assessments of patients seeking help with drug misuse problems.

  Further advice on developing integrated care for drug misusers was published this month. Integrated care aims to combine and co-ordinate all services required to meet assessed needs of drug misusers, including their mental health needs. Risks of suicide and self-harm form part of these assessments. We are also working with the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse and the Scottish Advisory Committee on Alcohol Misuse to look further into the needs of people with drug and alcohol problems who may also have underlying mental health conditions.

Substance Misuse

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place, or currently under consideration, that would make training in suicide risk assessment available to substance misuse services.

Dr Richard Simpson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29441 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search . Professional training forms a core element of the activities referred to in the answer.

Waste Management

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the waste presently disposed of at Longman landfill site, which is due to be closed from April 2003, will be disposed of in a landfill site near Peterhead and, if so, what estimate has been made of the additional haulage traffic that will use the A96 and other trunk roads in order to complete the journey from Inverness to Peterhead.

Ross Finnie: Treatment and disposal of municipal waste is the responsibility of the local authority, in this case Highland Council. The council is preparing a public private partnership (PPP) scheme as a long-term sustainable waste management solution which will be in accordance with the agreed Area Waste Plan. However, the council has informed the Executive of their intention to arrange for interim disposal of municipal waste, which is currently disposed of at Longman landfill site, in a landfill near Peterhead. The council has assessed that for this waste, traffic will amount to some 15 articulated vehicles per day.

Waste Management

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any applications for funding from ALBA Resource Recovery Ltd in respect of plans for a waste management scheme in Killoch, Ayrshire.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has not received any application for funding from Alba Resource Recovery Ltd for their plans for a waste management scheme in Killoch, Ayrshire.

Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing the customer standards code of practice in accordance with section 26 of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002.

Ross Finnie: Scottish Water has prepared, in consultation with the Water Industry Commissioner, its customer standards code as required by section 26(1) and (2) of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002. It will submit its customer standards code to the commissioner along with its scheme of charges for the year 2003-04 later this year. The Water Industry Commissioner will then follow the procedures for approving the code as detailed in section 27 of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002.